The Further Adventures of Spirit the Absol
by PkmnMaster Rolf
Summary: Alright, fine! You all want to hear more? I'll tell you more! Sit down and don't interrupt me. So yeah, after the whole fiasco I told you about last time, things went pretty well. No undead armies trying to kill me and Mew gained some level of sanity. Doesn't mean life was easy. Life in the International Police can get very...strange at times.
1. Case 1: The Devon Files, Chapter 1

**Hello! Back by popular request, Spirit the Absol! Don't worry, I'm not giving up on my other stories, but I'm editing Day of Burning Skies at the moment and I know a lot of people wanted to see more with this group of characters. So enjoy!**

Case 1: The Devon Files

Chapter 1

"Anything else you'd like to add, Ms. Darla?"

The young woman beamed back at the host. It wouldn't do, after all, to be caught frowning on national T.V.! "Yes, Jim, I do. In fact, I was saving this for last."

The man leaned forward, a friendly grin on his face. "Oh-HO! Well please, share with us!"

"In honor of the Devon Corporations third annual charity event," she said with a coy smile, "I will be donating an evening of my company at the auction tomorrow night."

Cheers and whistles broke out from the studio audience as she flashed her white teeth at them. The host grinned and shook his head. "Well, Ms. Darla, I'm not sure that there are any red-blooded young men who would be able to resist that!" He turned to the camera. "You heard it here first, folks! And it all goes to charity! The Devon Corporation is not keeping a nickel from the fundraiser! For all you young trainers out there, here's another announcement I think you'll like! Champion Brendan and his fiancée, May Birch, will be there with signed autographs and a few starter Pokémon for the graduates of the Rustboro Pokémon School. So come on down to tomorrow night for food, fun, and maybe a chance to win an evening with Ms. Darla! Thank you all and goodnight!"

The crowd cheered once more and the show ended. Soon, the cameras were switched off, the guests were ushered out, and Darla was back in the dressing room. She sighed and her Furfrou looked up from the corner. "Oh nothing, Dollie," she said, "I just hope that I don't end up with some rich old pervert."

There was a knock at the door. Two kids stood there, pen and paper in hand. "Excuse me…? Ms. Darla?" the little girl asked, "May we have your autograph?"

The woman smiled and took the pen. "Name?"

"Rachel, and this is my little brother, David."

"We really like your movies, Ms. Darla, ma'am!" the boy burst in. Darla laughed lightly.

"Oh, those things? Well, I would hope that I'm remembered more for my charity, but I don't mind being known as a movie-star." She handed them back their autographs. "There you go!"

"Rachel! David! Where are you!"

"That's Mom," Rachel whispered conspiratorially, "We better go."

"Goodnight, then," Darla said with a smile.

"Night, Ms. Darla!"

A little while later, she was walking through the parking lot with Dollie on her leash beside her. Those kids were cute. Maybe someday, she'd have a few of her own. She just had to find the right guy, one that wasn't after her because she was one of Kalos' new rising stars. After all, she'd been trained by the world-famous Diantha herself!

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind a large van. She stepped backwards in alarm and Dollie stepped forwards, growling. All she saw of him was black: black pants, black jacket, black boots, black gloves and a black hat. But his eyes glowed with a fierce yellow light that illuminated his cheeks and brows. "Darla, my dear," he said in a gravelly but cultured tone, "You really should be more careful this late at night wearing real diamonds around your neck. You never know who you might meet in the darkness!"

There was the flash of an ebony sword, a searing pain in her stomach, and blackness swallowed her vision entirely.

* * *

><p>"That was without a doubt the worst thing I've ever experienced."<p>

"Oh come on, Spirit, you're exaggerating. Admit it."

I glared at my mate. "…yes, I suppose I am. But the fact stands that it was a terrible experience." She smiled in triumph. I rolled my eyes. "You know, I used to think that ninetales were supposed to be wise, not grinning whenever they win a minor argument."

She shrugged. "And I thought absols were supposed to be helpful. The difference is, I'll be wiser when I reach one hundred and you'll still be just as difficult."

"Hey! Oh forget it…" We grinned at each other and laughed. "But seriously, I hate plane-flights."

"Why? Because they didn't serve fresh magikarp filets?"

I gave her a fixed look. "We were thousands of feet in the air inside a metal coffin. And no one on the team can fly."

"_Final boarding call for Flight 117 to Lumiose City!_"

"Poor souls," I muttered. Several of Nine's tails whipped around and smacked me. "Hey!"

"Just wait for Syoran and Rio to get back with the luggage," she said, "Then, we can walk on the ground all you want."

"On the hot pavement?" I said with a derisive snort, "No thanks. Last time I did that, the pads of my feet were burnt for a whole week. I'll ride in my ball." I began to pant. It was hot in Hoenn, after all, and I am the proud owner of the world's glossiest, best-groomed, and silkiest fur. But at the moment, it was making me very warm and I didn't have sweat glands like Syoran. Oh the challenges of being amazing like me… "Hey, is there any water around here?"

A passing mudkip sprayed a stream of water at my head. I whirled around and growled. "Very funny…" He grinned cheekily and bounded after his trainer, some little kid in overalls. I sighed and shook myself, sending the water everywhere in the terminal and causing no small amount of surprised shrieks from humans and Pokémon alike. Nine glared at me.

"Sorry?" I offered.

"Oh look," she said, peering over my shoulder, "Here come Syoran and Rio. Let's get out of here before security throws you out."

"Sounds good." I rose and trotted over toward our trainer. He and Rio each had a bag, though Rio's was larger. Despite his smaller size, he's still a lucario and they can carry a lot without complaining.

"Got everything?" I asked Rio.

"Yep!" he answered cheerfully, "The airline didn't lose anything this time." He blinked. "Why's your fur damp?"

"Um…" I glanced around at the terminal. "Don't ask…"

Syoran cleared his throat. "Everyone ready?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Yes."

"Yes!" Rio replied with enthusiasm.

Syoran chuckled. "Right. Follow me then. We'll catch a cab into the police department."

He led the way through the terminal. It was pretty busy, even though it wasn't the main one for Hoenn. Lilycove City's airport had that honor. Humans and their Pokémon bustled about, barely avoiding each other at times. Of course, all potentially dangerous Pokémon were stored safely in their Poke-balls and security kept a tight eye on things as a precaution, but lately not many incidents had been reported. Teams Magma and Aqua were disbanded and so far no well-organized criminal group had replaced them. Hoenn was, for the most part, at peace. And for the part that wasn't, well, that's where we came in.

We stepped out of the terminal and Syoran hailed a cab. The four of us piled in. Normally, there were six, but Z was back home in Kanto watching Ruby and Soul, my and Nine's two kits, and Psi was napping in his ball for the fifth time that day like a normal abra.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Police Headquarters," Syoran said.

The driver raised an eyebrow. "What do you want there?" Syoran sighed and pulled a black case out of his pocket. He opened it and showed it to the driver, who raised his other eyebrow. "Aren't you a bit young to be in the International Police?"

Syoran shrugged. "I'm a month away from being twenty."

"Eh, fair enough." The cabbie started the car and pulled into traffic. "You must be here about that murder then."

"Yep."

"Any new developments so far?"

Syoran smiled tolerantly. "I won't know that until I get to the police station, will I?"

"True, true. Well I hope you nab the fellow who did it. Nasty business, that's what it is. And such a pretty young woman too."

"We'll do our best. That's all I can promise," Syoran promised before lapsing into silence. The rest of the ride was quiet between the humans at least. Nine was sitting next to me and she nudged me.

"Hey," she said softly, "You doing okay?"

I looked at her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, being back in Hoenn," she said, "Where your family was…um, you know."

"Yes, I know," I said with a slight growl. "Heh, funny how Hoenn and murder seem to go together in my life. At least my family's killer is behind bars. Now, we have to catch another one."

"And we will catch him!" Rio declared, "And then we can explore! I wonder what it's like being in a contest?" He turned to Syoran. "Think we'll have time for a contest while we're here?"

Syoran smiled and patted his head. "No, sorry Rio. This is a mission, not a vacation."

"You say something?" the driver called.

"Just talking to my Pokémon," Syoran replied casually.

"Ah. I have a daughter who likes to do that. We have two skitties back at home. She loves to play with them. Pretends she can understand what they say back too. Cutest thing you ever saw!" The cabbie laughed. "You know, Devon's got this new machine they're working on. Translates what the Pokémon say into plain, everyday speech! I tell you, the things they do with computers these days, it blows my mind." He glanced back and grinned. "Maybe Devon will let you use it one of these days! Find out what your Pokémon really think of you."

Syoran chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds amazing! I'll have to ask them about it." He winked at us and we hid smiles.

Allow me to explain. A few years ago, before we joined the International Police, we were all kidnapped by a group of very powerful ghosts. If you read my last memoir, you'll know all about it. Long story short, we got pulled into a war between Mew and Giratina. Didn't go so well for us, but in the process one of the leaders of the ghosts, a mismagius named Hecate, became very annoyed that Syoran could not understand her when she gave him an order. So, she put a spell on him that allows him to understand most Pokémon and it hasn't worn off so far. At this point, we're pretty sure it's permanent. If it's not, the fifth member of our team, Z, has been studying the human language, so he'll be able to translate.

We pulled up at the station. Syoran paid and we hopped onto the curb. I yelped in pain and dashed for the nearest shade. The concrete was scorching hot! The others looked at me in amusement. My cheeks flushed and I looked away sullenly. "Well…you try walking on it when you spent a good portion of your life living on top of Mt. Coronet."

"I'm a steel-type. Doesn't hurt me!" Rio declared, proudly standing directly in the sunlit area of the sidewalk. He hesitated. "Although…okay! Ow! Ow! Ow!" He dashed over to join me in the shade, sat down, and blew on his foot-paws furiously. Nine sighed and walked slowly over to join us.

"Wimps…" she muttered.

"Shut up," I responded with mock anger, "You're a fire type."

"Well, if you are all ready," Syoran said, carrying both the bags, "I'd say it's time we went in."

The inside of the building was nothing special. Sure, the entire city was made out of stone on the outside, but on the inside it was just another human building. Although there was the distinct smell of coffee and doughnuts… More so than normal, that is. I sniffed the air. Some mold too, though not a whole lot. Probably under the carpet. It wasn't a terribly soft one. Must have been one of the things they cut corners on when they were building the place.

Syoran walked up to the front desk. "Hello," he said with a friendly smile, "I'm here to see Detective Langley."

"She's not available," the officer answered, "She's working on a case."

"Which is why I'm here," Syoran countered.

The officer looked him up and down. "Kid, if you're here with information about the case, we have someone taking statements in the back room. But Detective Langley…"

Syoran set his badge on the counter and gave the man a sheepish smile. "Sorry, sir, wasn't being clear. I'm with the International Police. They sent me here in response to your request. May I see Langley now?"

The man was taken aback. "You mean to tell me they sent a _kid_?"

"I'm almost twenty…"

"My point exactly." He sighed. "Fine, I'll let you into the office. Don't expect a warm welcome though. We were hoping for someone like that Looker fellow."

"Which is why he couldn't come," Syoran replied. He motioned for us to follow him as we headed back into the building. "He's too well-known. Whenever he shows up, all the suspects become very cautious. Me, on the other hand…"

"I suppose there's some logic to that," the officer grunted, "Well, right down the hall and to your left. If she's there. She might be interviewing people at the convention."

Detective Langley was there, though. And she didn't appear too pleased to see us either. "Great, now I have to play baby-sitter too!" she exclaimed when Syoran explained who he was. I growled at her and felt Nine's hackles rise beside me. Syoran placed hand on both of our shoulders, a warning to keep on our best behavior. I huffed.

"You requested the IP's help," he said, "And here I am. Now, what do you need me to do?"

"Stay out of the way. There's no room for green recruit here." She rose and snatched her bag off the floor. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go down and review security procedures for the dinner tonight. If you really want to help, we could always use an extra set of eyes making sure nothing suspicious happens to the guests."

"Mind if we catch a ride with you, then?" Syoran asked. Langley gave him a piercing glare. "Right. We'll walk then. Maybe check into a hotel while we're at it. See you in a few…" She was already out the door. "…hours." He sighed glumly. "Well that went well…"

"She seemed very stressed…" Rio said, "I think she's overwhelmed but doesn't want to admit it."

"Makes sense," I said with a growl, "After all, humans are very arrogant. They don't like admitting that they _can't_ do something."

"Like someone else I know…" Nine muttered.

I looked over at her. "You say something, dear?"

She put an innocent expression on her face. "Hmm? What?"

I rolled my eyes. I knew from experience that I'd never get her to admit anything. "Never-mind…"

"Anyways," Syoran said, "I guess we're walking. Hope there's a Pokémon Center or a hotel nearby…"

The officer at the front desk gave us directions to a nearby Pokémon Center. The room wasn't free, since Syoran wasn't an active participant in the Gym Challenge, but it was cheaper than one of the fancy hotels. Still served terrible food, though. It was that 'nutritional' stuff that tasted like cardboard. Fortunately, we only stayed long enough to set the bags down and put the 'Do not Disturb' sign on the door. Syoran got directions to the convention center from the nurse and we were on our way.

It was a pretty large building by human standards. Of course, humans build so many huge things that this was nothing particularly awe-inspiring. It was stone, though, which was not normal. A nice, sand-brown stone that reminded me of the pictures I'd seen of the desert. Maybe it had actually come from Hoenn's desert, though I can't imagine how they'd quarry it with all those raging sandstorms. Maybe it came from Orre instead. Eh, who cares? It looked nice.

Inside, we searched for Detective Langley. She was literally running around like a bunnelby and looked almost ready to pull her hair out. "I want anyone who knew the deceased front and center right now!" she shouted, "_Now_! This is an investigation, people! We have a dead movie star on our hands, in case you forgot!"

A short man in an expensive suit ran up to her. He was sweating and had a nervous smile on his face. "Er, Detective Langley? If you could be a bit more discreet, the Devon corporation has enough bad press as it is without your…outbursts reminding everyone."

"I am doing my job, Chairman," she snapped, "And I don't see you helping, so move or I'll have you moved!"

"Detective, please!"

"Out of my way!"

"Hey!" Syoran called. They both turned to him. "Hi. Just a quick question, Detective, what am I supposed to be doing here?"

She threw a clipboard at him and he barely caught it. "See that list? Interview everyone on it! I've got to go double-check the security protocols for tonight's banquet, which is in two hours."

Syoran looked over the list. "Um, you want this done in two hours?"

"Yes, is that a problem kid?"

He gulped and saluted sharply. "Nope! Not at all! Come on, Rio! I'll need your help for this."

Shortly, we managed to commandeer a small room. Nine and I were left to guard it while Syoran and Rio went to gather the interviewees. A few people tried to get in to use the room for something or the other, but one baleful Absol-glare from yours-truly soon put them out of that idea. Shortly, they returned with a tall, broad-shouldered man in a well-trimmed reddish-gold suit. It was almost the exact same color as Nine's fur and he had light blonde hair to boot! Weird.

Syoran pulled up a cushioned chair for the man to sit in. "Thank you for your time, Mr…?"

"Rose," the man replied, "Well, Dr. Rose, technically, but I'm not very active in the field anymore." He laughed in a casual, friendly manner. "My investments paid off, you see. I have all the money I need to live comfortably for the rest of my life." He gestured toward Syoran. "And you, young man, what's your name?"

"Syoran Syke. I'm an agent with the IP." He gestured to us. "This is most of my team. Rio, who'll be scanning your aura so we can make sure you're not lying, Spirit, and Nine."

The man ignored me and Rio entirely and turned to Nine, a wide smile on his face. "A ninetales! How delightful! I presume you know the story of how they came to be?"

"Yes, I've heard it many times," Syoran responded, "Nine humans sacrificed themselves and were made saints. In their honor, the first Ninetales came to be, and all his children are called that because it was his name."

"Indeed!" the man said, pleased, "I see you are not one of those trainers who merely befriends Pokémon, but takes the time to understand them as well!"

Syoran smiled. "I try. Now, I have several questions for you about the murder, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all." He smiled conspiratorially, "I was actually trying to avoid some rather troublesome individuals, if you know what I mean. This is a welcome excuse."

"Well alright then." Syoran nodded to Rio, who closed his eyes watched the man's aura. "Where were you on the night that Ms. Darla was murdered?"

Dr. Rose pursed his lips. "Let's see, I was preparing for my speech this evening. I'm giving a talk on the origins of various Pokémon, you see. People are crazy about this 'Primal Reversion' right now, but I assure you that there is plenty of interest in the histories of all sorts of Pokémon. Take the seedot species, for example…"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Rose, but were you alone?" Syoran pressed.

The man blinked and smiled ruefully. "Well I'm afraid I was. I suppose that's terribly inconvenient for you, but I think you'll find that a lot of people were by themselves around the time of the murder."

"How do you know when she was murdered?" Syoran asked suspiciously.

Dr. Rose laughed. I didn't like him very much. He was treating this whole thing just a bit too lightly. Someone was dead, after all. "Oh, you are good! But I'm afraid you're suspicions are in vain. The police distributed a pamphlet with all the information they had to everyone at the convention. Didn't you get one too?"

"Um…" Syoran's expression gave away the answer.

"Ah, they put one over on you, eh? I wouldn't worry about it too much," Dr. Rose said, "Probably just their way of hazing the new guy. There was plenty of that at the university. I can lend you mine, if you want. Save you the trouble of embarrassing yourself again."

Syoran flushed. "That would be nice…"

Rose fished it out of his jacket pocket and presented it triumphantly. "There you go! Here, let me write my address down on it so you can find me if you need to ask me any more questions." He leaned forward, an excited grin on his face. "I must say though, this is all rather exciting, isn't it? I mean, I expected to find a few interesting things here, but a real murder! Almost makes me want to turn detective myself!" He rose and made as if to leave.

"Thanks…" Syoran said hesitantly, "Well, um, one more question."

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I didn't realize we weren't finished," Dr. Rose said, "Tell you what, I have to run now, but if you'd like I'll be at the banquet tonight. You can sit with me and ask me all the questions you would like!" He grinned and gave Syoran a sloppy salute. "Till later, my intrepid young officer!" And he was out the door and gone before we could stop him.

Syoran leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Well, Rio? What did you think?"

"Not much to tell…" Rio said, "He definitely has some secrets, but he never outright lied to us. I'm pretty sure he knows something more though."

"I guess you're going to dinner, then," I said to Syoran.

He nodded. "Looks that way."

"In that case, you'd better change into something nicer," Nine said.

Syoran rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom."

"Syoran," Nine said, "We were both raised by your mom. I think we can both agree that I am not her." She smirked. "Although, having kits of my own may have brought out some of my maternal instincts."

"Marvelous…" he muttered. Suddenly, the fourth Poke-ball on his belt popped open Psi appeared on his head.

"Hi Sy'ran!" he said excitedly in his childish voice, "We on the case?"

"Yep. Enjoy your nap?"

"Yeah. I was tired…" the abra responded sheepishly.

"You're always tired…" I muttered under my breath.

Rio cleared his throat. "So…don't mean to interrupt, but were we going to do anymore interviews? Because a nap sounds really nice to me right now…"

Syoran chuckled. "Sorry, Rio, we are. We'll take a break before the banquet though, okay?"

We interviewed five more people before it was time to head back and get ready. Syoran pulled a tie and jacket from his belongings, brushed our fur, showered, and finished getting ready to go just in time for us to make it to the banquet. Dr. Rose was seated at the front table alongside an impressive looking bunch of rich humans. Due to space limitations, Psi and I were the only ones out of our Poke-balls: Psi on Syoran's shoulder and I beside him. Several other guests brought their Pokémon as well. Dr. Rose had a braxien with a red scarf around her neck.

"Fascinating creatures, the fennekin line is," he said to everyone at the table, "They are…oh, hello! Everyone, allow me to introduce Syoran Syke, agent of the International Police." He smiled in amusement. "He had a few questions he didn't get to ask earlier, so I invited him to dinner since I didn't have anyone else to give that one guest spot to."

"Oh come now, I can hardly believe that," a lady in a…_low_ black dress said, "With your personality? It's a wonder you don't have women beating down your door."

Rose laughed. "You are too kind! But I'm afraid that none so far have been able to put up with my random lectures on the intricacy of Pokémon history. Now, back to what I was saying…oh, you can sit next to me, Syoran. Don't be shy. Nice abra, by the way. Did I ever mention how abras like to…"

I ignored him and walked over to the braxien. She was currently absorbed in a little game she was playing with herself. She summoned flames of fire and passed them from claw to claw, never letting one touch anything flammable. "He seems quite the blabbermouth," I said.

"Yeah," she said, not looking up, "But he gives us the credit we're due, you know? He's the main investor in the Pokémon translator project. Wants trainers to be able to understand their Pokémon better. Literally." She smirked. "Always wanted to know what it would be like to have a conversation with a human. Can't wait for it to be finished."

I nodded. "I'm Spirit, by the way."

"Hexxas," she said, extending a flaming paw. I hesitated and she put the fire out. Then we shook paws.

Dinner was a pretty nice affair. Humans in fancy clothes wheeled out carts filled with the most mouth-watering smells imaginable. Syoran managed to get me a fresh steak, though he did get a few looks from the more upper-class members of society when he said I wanted it raw. Well of course I did! Tastes better that way. Used to hunt down prey and kill it, after all. Wouldn't want meat any other way.

"Want me to cook that for you?" Hexxas asked.

"No," I growled. My mouth watered as I stared at the heavenly delicacy. "This little beauty is all mine."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Dinner went well. Syoran asked a few questions, but found nothing of note. Psi was very popular with the women at the table and they all wanted turns holding him, though Syoran did end up snatching him away when he got uncomfortable. Then, the speeches began. Dr. Rose gave one, a passionately worded dissertation on the importance of a deeper understanding of Pokémon. Then, towards the end of the evening, an elderly man with medals on his chest rose to speak.

Dr. Rose leaned over to Syoran. "That, my boy, is General Donnellson of the Hoenn Defense Corp. Long illustrious career. Medals for valor. Everything you could want in a commander. There were some accusations that he was involved with a few of the criminal gangs, but nothing ever came of them."

"Interesting…" Syoran muttered.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the general began, "Let me begin by thanking the Devon Corporation for this excellent meal. Now, since this is a charity banquet, I will be donating a significant sum. How much? Well, I wouldn't want to brag, would I?"A few chuckles greeted his remark. "This year is a good time for Hoenn. Tourism is on the rise, criminal activity is at record lows, and Groudon and Kyogre are once more locked in slumber thanks to the efforts of Brandon and May here."

Cheers erupted as a young man and woman rose, smiling and waving. "Yes, we are fortunate to have heroes such as them. But, Ladies and Gentlemen, let us not forget the everyday heroes, the men and women in uniform, who work every day to maintain our peace and security. Let us remember…"

There was a stairway situated behind him leading down onto the stage. Why it was there, I don't know. But suddenly, a thin, young man about Syoran's age dressed all in black with a long trench-coat of the same color appeared at the top of it. He walked purposefully down, hands at his sides. Everyone stared at him in confusion as he walked up behind General Donnellson and tapped him on the shoulder. The old man turned, disgruntled and put off by the sudden intrusion. "Er, yes? What is it?"

"General Donnellson," he said in a voice that, though not particularly loud, we could all hear clearly, "I am happy to inform you that you are relieved of your duties, sir." He extended his arm and an ebony blade materialized in it. "All of them!"

The general was dead before Syoran could even rise from his seat.


	2. Case 1: The Devon Files, Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! Glad to see this story is already receiving such support. Enjoy!**

Case 1: The Devon Files

Chapter 2

The intruder leveled his sword at the crowd. "Get out."

Syoran, Psi, and I stared at him, stunned into inaction. There was a scream and then, as if they were part of a hive-mind, everyone turned and fled for the door. Security immediately grabbed Brendan and May and dragged them away, though clearly their instincts were to stay and fight. The general's body slumped against the podium and his murderer stood on the stage behind him, ebony blade stained with blood. He turned and began to ascend the staircase once again.

That woke us up. We immediately sprang back into action. Syoran dashed for the stage, snatching Rio and Nine's balls off his belt. "Psi! Disarm him! Nine, Spirit! Cover me!" He threw Rio's ball high into the air. "Rio! Block his escape!"

The lucario materialized on the staircase in front of the black-clad assailant. He took a wide stance and a staff of aura shimmered into existence in his paws. The man came to a halt two meters from him. "Move," he said with a very inhuman growl.

"No," Rio answered flatly, "You're under arrest."

"I said move, you mutt!" The man shot forward. One stroke of the sword shattered the staff and knocked Rio flat on his back. The murderer raised the blade to strike at him, but Psi appeared latched onto his wrist and tried to grab ahold of it. The man cursed and tried to shake him off, but he hung on doggedly. Syoran, Nine, and I ran up onto the stage, fanning out to cut off his escape. I was on the left, the blade on my head lowered and ready for action. Nine stood on the right, air shimmering around her from the heat of her body.

"International Police," Syoran said, taking a stand in between us, "You're under arrest! Any Pokémon you have are to be turned over immediately."

"Get your…ugh…abra off my hand!" he snapped, attempting to physically pull Psi off. Whenever he succeeded, Psi just teleported right back on again. "Grrrrr! I hate psychics!"

"Keep on him, Psi," Syoran instructed, "You're doing great."

"Screw this!" the black-clad man snapped. The sword evaporated into mist and a dagger appeared in his other hand. He stabbed at Psi, but he teleported away too quickly and he almost hit his own hand. Psi reappeared on his head, paws over his eyes. "RRGH! GET OFF ME!"

"Rio, grab him," Syoran ordered. The lucario rose to his feet and reached for the man's arms. The murderer snarled and conjured another blade in his second hand, leveled directly at Rio's nose. How he managed to do that with Psi on his head, I don't know.

"Back off," he ordered. Psi's paws covered his eyes again. "DAMN IT! Get this abra off me or I swear I will cut him in half!"

"Nine, Confuse Ray," Syoran ordered calmly. She nodded and a purple beam shot from her forehead. It struck the man dead on and he wobbled, suddenly dizzy. He stumbled and fell with a grunt. His weapons shimmered and vanished.

I stepped up to him and growled from the back of my throat. Not a playful growl like I give to Nine or even Rio when he's being an absolute idiot. This was one that meant business. "I'd stay down if I were you," Syoran said to the man.

The doors burst open and cops poured in along with a pack of growlithes and arcanines, but I remembered my training and kept my eyes on the criminal. The more experienced ones often tried to make a break for it when you got distracted and took your eyes off them and there was no way I was letting that happen here!

He tensed in preparation for a dash. My growling deepened and we locked eyes. Were his…glowing? There was definitely a strange yellow shine to them. Very strange. "Try it and I maul you," I said icily, though I figured he wouldn't understand. He hesitated for a moment and his weapons dissolved from his grip. But then, a wave of darkness exploded out from him and knocked us all off our feet. Psi's scream of pain was like a freezing dagger to the gut. He was directly in the center of a super-effective attack. From a human. The murderer threw him at Syoran and ran.

"Sy'ran?" Psi mumbled, barely conscious, "I don' feel so good…"

Syoran whipped out the abra's Poke-ball and withdrew him. "Sorry about that, Psi. Rest for now. We'll get you to the Poke-Center later." He quickly set the ball to 'Stasis Mode' and re-clipped it on his belt.

"Hey kid!" one of the officers shouted, "Get over here!"

"International Police!" Syoran shouted back, flashing his badge in one practiced motion, "Follow me! He went this way!"

And then, the chase was on. He had a head start, but we'd been trained to run quickly. He was always one turn ahead, though, and sometimes the only thing we could see were the tails of his trench-coat as he rounded a corner. Then, he ran directly into a crowded lobby.

"Out of my way! Move or I'll cut you in half!" he snarled, brandishing his re-conjured blade. They drew back in alarm, but not quite fast enough. Nine's flames struck with pin-point accuracy and set his coat on fire. He yelped, yes, _yelped_ in alarm and tried to beat the flames out. When he couldn't, he wriggled out of the coat and threw it at the crowd to try and get them to move out of the way faster. Then Rio tackled him from behind. From the sound of his scream, I'd say Rio's chest-spike must have gouged him a bit. Good.

Another wave of darkness sent the lucario flying. I charged right through it and bit the man's leg until I tasted blood. With a howl of pain, he kicked me off. He got away, but he now had a pronounced limp.

Unfortunately, we lost most of the police officers who had been following us in the crowd as it closed up after us. Then, when we ran outside, he was already in the midst of another large crowd. We tried to chase him, but we lost sight of him. The officers cursed.

"He got away," one grumbled, "Langley's going to shout our ears off for this…"

"Well, he hasn't quite gotten away yet…" Syoran countered, "Rio? Do you think you can track him?"

"Me? Oh, uh, give me a sec." Rio closed his eyes and concentrated. "Yep! Got him. Follow me!"

We took off running again, following Rio. Every now and then, he stopped and checked to make sure he was still on the man's tail. The police fidgeted impatiently whenever he did this, scanning the crowd to try and catch sight of him. After the fifth time, when we were deep into the downtown area, Rio hesitated. He stood there, eyes clenched shut, moving his head back and forth erratically as if searching a crowd.

"Hurry up!" one of the officers ordered impatiently. Rio winced and nodded. But after several more seconds, he still didn't find anything. He began to shift from paw to paw anxiously and his tail curled up under him. He opened his eyes, ears drooping.

"Um…Syoran?" he said, very nervous, "I think I lost him…"

Syoran laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Rio," he said soothingly, "You're just agitated. Calm down. Take a deep breath. And try again."

"There's so many people and Pokémon! It's hard to tell his trail apart from all the others," Rio protested.

"Just try it," Syoran said with a reassuring smile, "No one's blaming you if you can't do it." He gave the officers a pointed look.

The police and their Pokémon muttered under their breath. A few even glared at Rio and it didn't take a psychic to tell what they were thinking of him. Actually, Rio probably knew better than anyone there. I glanced over at Nine and nodded toward him. She yipped softly in agreement (what? It's a Pokémon thing) and we went to either side of him.

"You can do it, Rio," Nine said softly.

"And if you don't, I will steal all your ice cream and give it to Psi for a whole week," I added.

Rio smiled weakly and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing then…" His eyes closed once more and a weak glow enveloped his body. He extended both arms straight ahead and turned slowly, pointing like a compass. After ten seconds, he stopped and opened his eyes. "That way! Follow me!"

We ran into an alleyway, police right behind us. It was dark, but I could see just fine. A few Pokémon skittered away as we approached, but nothing major. We turned left, then right, then right again. Rio finally halted in front of a low, unmarked door.

"Is this where the trail leads?" Syoran asked.

Rio frowned. "Well…it leads up to it, but the door…"

"Just nod your head yes or no," Syoran reminded him.

"Oh, right. The police." Rio nodded. Our trainer turned to the police and gestured to the door.

"Here we are, Ladies and Gentlemen! And…gentlemons." He smiled at the pack of arcanines and growlithes accompanying the police. "Rio says the trail leads to here."

They exchanged glances. "Break it down," one with a few more stripes on his shirt ordered.

"What about a warrant?" Syoran asked.

"Kid," the officer in charge replied, "If what you say is true, then Hoenn laws allow us to follow a dangerous fugitive inside. We can't search the other rooms, of course, but we can follow the trail."

Syoran nodded and stepped aside as two policemen stepped forward and banged on the door. "Open up!" they ordered. No response. They both took five steps back and charged, throwing their whole weight against it. Due to all the doughnuts they'd eaten and their 'generous' midsections, the door collapsed inward into a pile of splinters.

_Now_ someone came forward, a squat, balding man with a red nose and fat-belly. I guess breaking down the door is a good way to get someone's attention. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Police-business. We'll pay for the damages." The officers pushed him aside. "Oi! Lucario! Get in here and track him for us."

The fat man took one look at the officers standing outside the door and turned around. "I want nothing to do with this. Never even knew his name, alright?"

"We'll be in touch," the first officer said, "Hey lucario! You coming or not?"

Rio stepped forward awkwardly. "I'm technically only supposed to take orders from Syoran…"

"Do it," the officer's growlithe snarled.

Rio looked to Syoran for guidance. He sighed and nodded. "Go ahead, Rio. Lead the way."

I pushed my way forward and took up a protective position between the lucario and the police. Rio was still pretty much a kid, after all, and I happened to be rather fond of him. Most of the time. I glared at the growlithe as we passed and she bared her teeth for a split second. We were all on edge and tempers were flaring. If this continued, the murderer wouldn't have to kill us. We'd do it ourselves.

"Um…" Rio said, straining to pick up traces of the man's aura, "He's upstairs, though there isn't any trace of the path he took to get there…"

"That's because I'm right here."

We all looked up sharply as he dropped from the ceiling. He landed on us, knocking the officers over and pinning the growlithe underneath them. A few more tried to force their way in, but a blast of darkness blew them and Syoran backwards.

"Ha!" He leered at them. "Come and get me, you blue-suited bastards! I can take you all on!"

I staggered to my feet and growled. He glanced down at me and grinned. His blade materialized in his grip. "Well, well, well! Want to dance, little doggie?"

I gave him a vicious grin. "Thought you'd never ask. I've been-" My eyes widened. I barely had time to parry before his sword struck my blade. We disengaged and each took a quick step back.

He chuckled and locked eyes with me. "Quick reflexes."

I growled and leapt for him, teeth and claws bared. With a disappointed sigh, he stepped aside and lashed out with his leg. It struck me in mid-air and sent me flying through the flimsy wall. Did they use cardboard to make this or something? It didn't really even hurt, and I normally don't do well with being thrown through walls.

"Anyone else?" he called, swinging his sword around. The police hesitated and Nine couldn't very well use her fire in a crowded hallway. "Ha! Didn't think so! Now get out of my way before I-"

Then, Rio's fist slammed into the back of his head and he slumped against the wall.

"Hands in the air!" Of course, _now_ the police leapt into action. He looked at them groggily.

"No, officer…" he muttered, "I swear to drunk I'm not Arceus…" Then, he passed out.

I stepped away from him and let the two humans drag him out. The growlithe glared at me, then turned to Rio. "Good job," she said before sticking her nose in the air and following her companions out the door. I rolled my eyes.

"What a big head for such a little dog…" I muttered. If she heard it, she ignored me. Rude. How can you ignore someone with as wonderful a fur coat as I have? It's just too fabulous to resist!

The four of us left the scene pretty quickly so we could take Psi to the Pokémon Center. We'd drop by the station later and learn what they'd figured out. Priorities, though. "Well, that's taken care of, I guess," Syoran muttered when we were halfway to our destination, "Not exactly the way I would have liked things to go…" He sighed. "Commander Rider will probably reprimand me for not preventing the general's death. If I'd had Rio out instead of you, Spirit, he could have sensed that creep's intentions beforehand…" He gritted his teeth. "I had no idea he was going to just…attack like that."

"He took everyone by surprise," Nine said comfortingly, "After all, the police let him slip through their security. And he isn't exactly…inconspicuous."

"True…" Syoran lapsed into silence until we turned the last corner to the Pokémon Center. "I wonder…where did he learn to use Dark-type moves? I mean, humans using Normal, Fighting, and Psychic type moves is uncommon, but not unheard of. I've even heard of a few who can use Ghost-type moves! But Dark-type? No clue how he did that."

"You could ask him," Rio suggested.

"Like that would work." Syoran chuckled grimly. "When someone has that kind of power, they generally try to keep it to themselves. Even good people are reluctant to share a gift like that because of who might learn it."

"Well he wasn't a good person," I growled, "In fact, I have a rather dim view of most of you humans."

"No he wasn't and yes you do," Syoran agreed. We entered the Center and approached the counter. There was no line this late at night and the nurse on duty wasn't a Nurse Joy. I almost sighed in relief. That particular family of humans had always creeped me out a bit. They all looked exactly the same! I wasn't fond of their Pokémon either, though I'd eventually come to accept that the Chansey race wasn't entirely populated with psychopaths. Only most of them.

"Good evening!" the nurse said with schooled hospitality, "How may I help you?"

Syoran unhooked Psi's ball from his belt and placed it on the table. "One abra to be healed, please."

She frowned disapprovingly. "You have three strong Pokémon behind you and you sent your abra out to battle?!"

"Well, you'd be surprised how strong Psi is," Syoran said defensively. She looked at him doubtfully. "One sec." Syoran laid his badge on the desk and gave the woman a friendly smile. "We were pursuing a dangerous criminal and were caught by surprise. All of us were hit by the attack, but Psi was closest to the man. If you'd like, you can ask him yourself. I assure you, I track down and jail people who abuse Pokémon. I'm not one of them."

The woman examined it carefully. "Hard to argue with a badge…" she said grudgingly, "Sorry if I was a bit rude there. It's my duty to look out for Pokémon. Have a nice night."

"Thanks. Please take good care of him. We're staying in room 223 and, if you need to contact me, here's my number." Soon, Syoran stepped away from the desk and nodded to us. "Alright. Let's go see what Detective Langley has managed to coax out of our criminal friend."

The good detective wasn't very happy to see us. "Well, you caught him. Congratulations. The famed Interpol has once again shown its vast superiority over the underfunded local police."

Syoran blinked in surprise. "Excuse me? We weren't trying to-"

"Oh can it!" she snapped. Syoran closed his mouth. Hmm, I need to learn how to make him do that. Maybe she could show me.

Nine growled softly at her, fur bristling. As usual, the human paid no attention to us Pokémon. She turned her back to us and stared through the one-way glass. Our catch was on the other side, seated on a bench and stripped to a pair of boxers. His hands were bound behind him with heavy chains. I frowned. He actually looked a lot…slimmer than I had first guessed without his heavy, black outfit. I suppose it's just that he had been wearing very thick clothes. He was pale, like a human who had spent most of his life inside. There were several prominent marks across his skin, almost like tattoos, but they were made of red, angry flesh. Aw, you get the general idea. He was weird. That's the long and short of it.

Syoran gestured towards him. "What'd you do with his gear?"

"Put it in storage," Langley replied, "And before you ask, it was just clothing. No special machines, not even a GPS or a wallet."

"And you didn't give him any sort of uniform to change into?"

"Kid, when we have someone with unknown powers, we don't take any chances."

"I keep telling people I'm almost twenty…" Syoran sighed. "Well, did he at least tell you anything?"

She smiled humorlessly. "Other than that his name is Fang and he doesn't know how old he is, no."

There was a moment of silence. "May I talk to him?" Syoran asked.

"Knock yourself out. Just don't let him out of those chains. He can still summon that sword of his and I don't need anyone else impaled today, okay?"

"Roger that." Syoran motioned for me to accompany him. I fell in step behind him. "If he tries anything," Syoran instructed, "do whatever you think is necessary."

I nodded and did a quick Swords Dance just in case. It's not much of a 'dance', more like a quick series of stretches and limbering-up exercises, but if the human thought it looked like a dance, who was I to question their _obviously_ superior intellect. (That was sarcastic, in case you couldn't tell. I actually wonder how some humans manage to remember to breathe.)

'Fang' looked up sharply as we entered and growled. "Oh. You. Of course." He shifted slightly away from us. Syoran pulled up a chair and sat about five feet away from him. I stood next to him, using the renowned glaring skills of my species to try and intimidate him. "Well?" Fang demanded, "What do you want?"

"My name is Syoran. I just wanted to talk."

"Then talk," Fang growled, "Doesn't matter to me."

Syoran took a deep, patient breath. "First off, you know you're pretty much sunk, right? Killing a general in front of a few hundred witnesses? Why?" Fang glared at the ground. "You working for anybody?"

"No…"

"Did you kill Ms. Darla too?"

Fang tensed and his lips curled back into a snarl. "Yeah. I killed her."

Syoran nodded slowly. "So…have you killed anyone else?"

"No! What do you take me for?!"

"Right now?" Syoran shook his head. "Well, a murderer, what else?"

"I had my reasons," Fang said quietly, "But they deserved it. I have a list. Anyone _not_ on that list is safe if they get out of my way." He looked up and they locked eyes. "I may have to add _your_ name to the list, _Syoran._"

"Ah, well in that case it's spelled S-Y-O-R-A-N and last name S-Y-K-E." Syoran smiled and leaned back casually. "What? You think I'm worried you'll escape? I'll wager that soon a team will be taking you to a high-security government lab for study. Those Dark-type powers of yours are very…interesting."

It was a lie, as far as we knew. But it was also a well-known tactic. Throw out a vaguely-worded threat, see how the subject responded, and go from there. Now, Rio didn't like it very much. He's a very honest person. Not very keen on lying under any circumstance. I wasn't very much either. This one very well could have been true though and he didn't actually say that we knew it for a fact, just that we thought it likely.

Fang shot backwards like he'd been stung. His expression morphed into one of fear and then anger. A sudden, manic energy shot through him and he strained wildly against his bonds. Corded muscles stood out on his neck and his face contorted into a combination of terror, anger, and desperation. "No! No, you can't make me! I'll never go back! I'll kill myself first!"

I stepped in between them, hackles raised and head lowered in an aggressive stance. "Stand back, Syoran!" I said, "If he gets loose…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Syoran raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Let's not get drastic here. Just calm down. Let's talk for a bit. They aren't on their way yet, that I know of, so we still have some time to get this all sorted out. Okay?"

Fang slowly stopped, breathing heavily. His eyes wildly flicked around the room, looking for an escape route. I took a step forward and growled. "Either that, or if you try to escape I can start cutting you up right here. No need to wait for the scientists to do it."

He stared at me and his face paled slightly. "Fine…let's talk…" He hunched his shoulders and seemed to be trying to make himself seem smaller. "What do you want to know?"

"Well…" Syoran looked him over. The pale skin, the jet-black hair, the slightly-glowing yellow eyes… "First, just what are you?"

"Nope. Ask something else."

"But…"

"I said I'm not answering!" Fang snapped, "What I am isn't important!" He huffed and looked away. "Besides, you should be more concerned about what I'm going to do."

Syoran leaned forward. "And what's that?"

Fang grinned, and it wasn't a friendly grin. "I'm going to escape. And then, I'm going to cross names off of my list, one by one by one!"


	3. Case 1: The Devon Files, Chapter 3

**My apologies for not being very active of late. I've written two short stories and am also working on the novel I want to get published eventually. Also, I found a Pokemon Tabletop Roleplaying game and am DMing for it next semester. I don't do a whole lot of RP, but come on, it's Pokemon. I go in for anything Pokemon-related, so I had to give this a try. Never fear, though! Also, I hope to do one, possibly two, more uploads before Christmas, so look for those coming soon!**

**Chapter 3**

We spent the next few hours poring over Fang's 'list'. Detective Langley so kindly provided it to us after we asked five times. Darla's name was crossed off and General Donnellson's was directly below hers. Since Fang had been running the entire time, he hadn't had the opportunity to cross his off. He had, however, very successfully crossed the General himself off… Below, in alphabetical order, another five names were listed. They were all various wealthy of brilliant people connected in some way to the Devon Corporation, though one of them in particular caught our eye. At the bottom, written with heavy, spiteful pen-strokes, was Dr. David Rose, PhD.

In the end, we could make nothing of the list. Other than the connection to Devon, these people had nothing in common. Even that was tenuous at best. Gen. Donnellson was merely a contributor to the charity fund and had once signed off on an official government contract with the corporation. Basic acquisition stuff too, nothing nefarious or even experimental. Syoran filled out a report on the day's incidents, sent it off to Command, and we went to bed.

I was still wrapped in blissful sleep when loud voices rudely woke me up.

"What do you mean he escaped?!"

"Last night, a few hours after you left." Langley sighed. "Cut down two of my officers too. Hendricks is in the hospital, but Jimmy's in the morgue."

It was morning. I sighed and opened my eyes. Syoran and Detective Langley were by the door, talking loudly. Humans. Couldn't they let me just sleep? …Wait, escaped?

I leapt to my feet and abandoned the pillow Nine and I shared as a bed. She let out a discontented growl and raised her head. "What is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Fang escaped," I said grimly.

She blinked once. "Well, that's…not good."

"Yes," Syoran said, "We'll come immediately."

"See you at the station then." With a begrudging tip of her hat, Langley turned sharply and left.

Syoran turned to us. "You heard what she said, right?"

"We did," I answered, "But the sleeping log over there is still out like a light."

We all looked over at the couch, where Rio slept. He lay curled up in a cocoon of blankets with only the tip of his tail and his ears poking out. Also, he seemed to be dreaming. Of what, who knows? Punching people in the face, maybe. That seems to be a common theme among fighting types. Eh, with Rio it was probably something childish like flying through the clouds.

Syoran walked over to him. "Rio," he called, "Wake up. We have to go."

The lucario sat up slowly, stifling a big yawn. His fur stuck out at all angles, much like what Syoran describes as bed-head but all over his body. I stifled a chuckle. "Well, looks like someone's going to need a very good brushing later."

Rio blinked in confusion. "What? I don't…are we going somewhere?"

"Police station," Nine said, "Fang escaped."

Rio was on his feet in an instant. "Well what are we waiting for then?"

"You," I said.

"And we're going to stop by the front desk to pick up Psi," Syoran added.

I nodded to Rio. "You _and_ that, then."

Psi was right as rain. He pretty much leapt out of the nurse's arms and into Syoran's. "Well hello to you too!" Syoran laughed. "He wasn't any trouble, was he?"

"Other than trying to steal the candy, no," she replied with a friendly smile, "Sign here please."

Syoran patted Psi's head and grabbed the pen. "Don't take all the candy, silly."

"I'm not silly. It was chocolate," Psi said, "I like chocolate. Chocolate is very ser'ous."

"Is that so?" Syoran grinned and handed the pen back. "Thanks, Nurse…?"

"Hope," she said, "The Joy side of the family is all of my cousins."

Syoran raised an eyebrow. "Any other sides of the family?"

"Well, there's the Faith side. So together, we are all Faith, Hope, and Joy!"

I rolled my eyes. "Wonderful. More freakishly identical people. Let's leave before they all turn into zombies or something."

"Zombies?!" Psi repeated in alarm, "Where?"

"If we hurry, there won't be any," I said.

Psi reached up and whispered in Syoran's ear. "Can we go? Now?"

Nine nudged me. "You're incorrigible."

"Hey! I happen to like porridge…" I protested. She raised an eyebrow. "…okay, that was a lie. I hate the stuff."

"That, and…" She paused. "Well, let's just say I'm glad you're not a comedian."

I resorted to muttering disgruntledly under my breath.

And so, with Rio's fur a mess, Psi set firmly in Syoran's arms, and me nursing a (temporarily) bruised ego, we set out for the police station. This time around, they practically dragged us back to Detective Langley's office. Her sharp features were fixed in a scowl, though this time not directed at us. Instead, all her ire was focused on the T.V. screen set up in the corner.

"Detective Langley," Syoran said in greeting.

"Agent Syke," she replied with a curt nod. "We have something for you to watch. Tell us what you think. Johnny! Play the footage again for him."

We watched the screen. It was the surveillance video from Fang's holding cell last night. There was audio too, but he didn't say anything of note. Johnnie, one of Langley's subordinates, sped through a few hours of it until the door to the room opened. A raichu wearing a collar walked in confidently. Immediately, Fang leapt to his feet and growled. "Ray! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

"Breaking you out," the raichu responded, "Stand still." His long, whip-like tail lashed out but Fang leapt aside. "Hey! You want that chain broken or not?"

"I don't want your help. Now what are you doing here?" Fang glared at him, lips curled into a snarl. "I'm _not_ going back there. So you can break me out if you want, but you aren't taking me in."

"Looks like you've already been 'taken in'," Ray replied with an unfriendly smirk, "Let's just call this a favor repaid, 'kay? You helped me, not I'll help you. The Doctor doesn't have to get involved."

"He's always involved…" Fang chuckled bitterly. "You know…I wish I could just kill them all." He grinned viciously. "I got the Star and the General. All they're hard work, years spent distancing themselves from their pasts. They thought no one remembered, but I did! And one stroke from me ended it all!"

Ray shifted uncomfortably. "I'm beginning to think the Doctor was right. You've become unbalanced."

"Oh?" Fang's demeanor shifted slightly, "Allow me, my rat-like friend, to illustrate what I mean. Let me show you how one stroke can change a life!" His blade materialized backwards in his hand. With one clean motion, he cut his chains in two and placed it directly on the raichu's throat. "Stroke by stroke, life by life, I will paint a picture in blood that will end this hellish existence of mine once and for all! I will be free! I will return to my family! And as for the doctor, he'll be-"

Ray sighed and massaged his forehead. "Look, you coming or not? I don't have all day. Those cops I paralyzed will be recovering soon."

"Oh I'm coming," Fang replied, "If you can live with the consequences of me being free."

Ray shrugged. "Like I said, favor repaid. Besides, the others can fend for themselves. The only thing that can't happen is they study you and figure out…" He glanced up at the camera. "Eh, you get the picture."

"I do," Fang said coolly, "Lead the way."

They exited the camera's view. "So…" Syoran said, "When you told me that he escaped, what you really meant is someone broke him out?"

"Correct," Langley replied, "What do you make of it? Wish we had someone who could tell us what the Raichu said…"

"Ah! I can help you there!" Syoran said, "I happen to have Psi here with me! With his help, I can write it down for you. It's pretty…interesting, I'll give you that."

I snorted. Syoran didn't need Psi's help, but a psychic was a good excuse as any for understanding Pokémon. Langley looked surprised, but she accepted his offer. In a few minutes, she was just as puzzled as I was.

"What this sounds like is some sort of…revenge plot," she said, "But as of now, there doesn't appear to be a motive for it. Everyone on this list is an upstanding member of society. No criminal record or even suspicion of criminal activity."

"If I may," Syoran said, "Interpol protocol would recommend a more thorough background check on each of the names written on Fang's 'list'."

"You don't believe they're guilty of something, do you?" Langley asked.

"Not necessarily," Syoran said defensively, "But at the least, it might uncover some connection between them, right?"

"Right." Langley rose and gestured toward the door. "Thank you, Agent Syke. That will be all for now. We will take your recommendation, but I suggest you busy yourself searching for other clues."

Syoran was about to protest, but the look in her eyes convinced him otherwise. He nodded. "Um, call me if you need me?"

"We will," she said curtly and showed us out.

"What's her problem?" I growled.

"Most likely she's angry because Syoran is smarter than she is," Rio said, "She has a very touchy personality. Lot of insecurities."

I frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Um…hello?" He pointed to himself. "Lucario, the Aura Pokémon? I can't really help it if I spend any amount of time around someone."

I sighed. "Right. Well, I suppose you'll have a very easy time picking a girl to court, won't you?"

He shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his foot-paws. "Uh, courting…right. That thing…"

"Wha's 'courting'?" Psi asked.

"Tell you when you're older," we chorused in unison.

The abra huffed. "You guys always say that…"

"You know…" Syoran said, "We're supposed to be finding our own evidence, right?"

We gave him curious looks and nodded. "What's your point?" Nine asked.

"Well…" He grinned. "Everyone! I believe it's time to do a bit of tracking!"

Rio sighed. "Aura signatures, right."

"Well, also, since Spirit and Nine both can smell things very well, we're going to have them track him the old fashioned way." Syoran set off across the parking lot. "Come on!"

"Ugh," I muttered, "Hot asphalt and city smells. Neither of those particularly entices me…"

It was very slow going. Both the scent and the aura trails were faint, but we made some progress. We wandered back into the same part of the city as last night. Rio warned us to be careful. He could sense many people watching us with hostile gazes, though they were hidden from our sight. Nine and I just couldn't continue on the trail, however. The smells, they were just…horrendous. A mixture of cheap liquor, vomit, and raw sewage. How anyone could live here was beyond me. Give me the forest or a nice glade any day. Even a ranch wouldn't be bad compared to this place.

Finally, Rio led us back to the very same place where we had caught Fang last night. "In there…" he said hesitantly.

"Why'd he come back?" Syoran wondered aloud. He reached for his side and drew out a baton. "Rio, can you pinpoint his location?"

The lucario frowned. "Yes. He's upstairs."

"Right," Syoran said, "I'll go first. Psi, be prepared to teleport me to safety. Nine and Spirit, stay on my tail. Rio, cover the back. That raichu might be around here somewhere."

"I wouldn't know…" Rio muttered, "Never met him, don't know his aura."

A voice called out behind us. "What's all this then?"

We whirled. There stood the very Pokémon in question, hands on his hips. Several bags of groceries were in his arms and he stared at us suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asked.

"We're, uh, new recruits!" Rio answered quickly.

"Riiiiight," Ray answered. He set his bags down carefully and stepped towards us. "Now why don't you tell me who you really are?"

"You first, raichu," Syoran said.

"Raichu?!" Ray threw his head back and laughed. "You know, I used to take offence to that. I'm actually a- waitasec, you understood me!"

"Yes. Yes I did."

Ray's eyes narrowed. "Okay, enough funny business. Who are you and why are you here?"

I stepped forward. "Name's Spirit. Don't mind him. He's smart for a human, but still an idiot."

"Hey!"

Ray chuckled. "I like you already, absol." He extended a paw. "Name's Ray. Ray the Red. I'd invite you in, but my host isn't exactly seeing people right now."

"Well," Nine said smoothly, "We'd really like to talk to him." She gave him a friendly smile. "It would really mean a lot to us."

"Sorry." Ray shrugged. "Not my call."

Syoran stepped forward. "Then I'm afraid we're going to insist."

The raichu looked him over, sizing him up, and frowned. "I don't like your attitude." He paused. "Hey! You never answered my question either. Who are you?"

Syoran produced his badge. "Syoran Syke, Interpol."

"What?" Ray leapt back as if he'd been burned. "Interpol?!" His cheeks sparked dangerously. "Well scram! You have ten seconds to get out of my sight! And if you know what's good for you, you will."

We assumed battle formations. "There are five of us and one of you," I said smugly, "What do you think you're going to do?"

"This." Ray turned and ran past us into the building.

"After him!" Syoran ordered.

I grinned and unsheathed my claws. "Like a predator stalking his prey." I took off with the others right behind me. The smell was atrocious, but I blocked that out. Had to keep Ray's tail in sight, after all. He ran on all fours, careening around the corners and up the stairwell. Psi teleported in front of him, but he dodged to the side and continued.

"Come back here, little mousy!" I taunted, "I just want to play with you a bit. Maybe if you surrender, I won't leave your blood all over the carpet!"

"I'm so glad we left the kids at home," Nine muttered.

We came to the second floor and a dead end. Both directions led to a solid brick wall and there was no second set of stairs. Ray pulled up short and turned around, eyes searching for an exit.

"You're cornered," I said with a growl.

His suddenly became nonchalant, grinning and stretching languidly. "Well actually, I chose this spot."

"Right…" Rio said, "Well, good luck with that!"

"No seriously," Ray insisted, "Want to know why? Ranged attacker, narrow hallway. I dare ya to come get me!" Gleefully, he cracked his tail like a whip. "Who's first, hmm?"

"Don't fall for it," Syoran ordered, "All at once. Going one at a time only happens in movies."

"Fair enough…" Ray muttered. He took a step back. His tail laid flat to the ground, he raised both his fists, and sparks flew from his cheeks. "Come at me then. Just don't trip over yourselves."

Syoran nodded to Psi. "Teleport yourself and Rio behind him, would you?"

Psi grinned and grabbed Rio's leg. They disappeared in a flash of light.

"Clever," Ray muttered, eyes flicking between the two groups.

"I'll take point," I said to Nine, "Back me up, okay?"

"What else would I be doing? Grooming my fur?" she asked with a slightly amused tone.

"Nope. That's my specialty." I met Rio's eyes and we mentally counted down. Three…two…on. "Now!"

Turns out, letting him know our plan was a bad idea. He reacted perfectly. A weak wave of electricity paralyzed me while his tail snaked around Rio's paws and slammed him down to the ground. And with it wrapped around his paws, he had no chance to dodge the next attack. The lucario went limp and fell. Nine had just enough time to fire off one attack before Ray retaliated with a massive thunderbolt. She dodged most of it, though it still did a lot of damage, and it struck Syoran instead. He fell down, smoking and unconscious.

"Ow…" Rio moaned. Wisps of smoke rose from his fur. I lay beside him, straining to get my spasming muscles under control. Nine was still standing, but she didn't look so good. Her fur was singed in multiple places and she panted heavily. Psi alone stood unharmed. He glared at Ray, who looked vaguely uncomfortable.

"Hey kid, you should really just give up now," he said, "You don't stand a chance against me."

"No," Psi replied. He reached down to his side and pulled a small knife off a little belt he liked to wear. Ray scrutinized it skeptically.

"What is that supposed to…" It glowed and a pink blade of psychic energy materialized from it. "Oh." Ray let out a sigh. "Look, I really don't like hurting kids. It's one of the few things I feel bad about doing. But I will, if you don't give in, 'kay?"

"Won't let you hurt Spi'it, Sy'ran, Rio, or Nine," Psi responded grimly. He assumed a battle stance.

"You attacked me!" Ray protested, "I would have just let you all go, but _noooo_, you had to try and be heroic lawmen, bringing the evil Ray the Red to justice!"

Psi hesitated and lowered his guard slightly. "You're yellow," he said, "Not red. Why's that your name?"

"Look closer," Ray said, "See my ears and stripes? They have a slight red tint to them. My little brother has blue cheeks and stripes and my little sister has green."

"Blue cheeks? Like Pikablu?" Psi said.

"Pikablu?! You met him?" Ray exclaimed in surprise, "Well that's a first. Lost track of him after he bailed on us. You friends with him?"

"Yes. He helped us escape the Reve'se World."

Ray grinned deviously. "He did, did he? Then…I have no compunction about doing this!" A burst of electricity shot out from him and slammed into Psi. He squeaked in alarm and teleported, more by instinct than anything. He landed right on my face, his furry tail right in my eyes.

"Sorry, Spi'it!" He leapt off quickly only for Ray to punch him in the stomach with an electrified fist. I growled and tried to rise, but my muscles immediately seized and I fell again. A blast of fire struck Ray in the back and he wheeled.

"Should have finished you off first," he said to Nine, "Well then, goodnight Ninetales!" His tail lashed out like a whip and struck her in the face, but she opened her jaw and bit down on it. Hard. He screamed in pain and sparks flew across his fur, but that only made her bite down harder. "Let go, you nine-tailed kitsune!" He knocked her away with an electrified fist.

I snarled and rose to my feet, despite my spasming muscles. Now, I wasn't very steady or anything, but I was on my feet. And if that's not impressive enough for you, then you try standing when your nervous system is completely out of whack. Arceus above, I hate electric types. "Leave them alone," I said.

"Shut up." His fist struck me on the chin and I knew no more.


	4. Case 1: The Devon Files, Chapter 4

Case 1: The Devon Files

Chapter 4

"Hey absol!" I felt a sharp pain jab my stomach. "Wake up already! I didn't hit you that hard."

"Good luck with that," I heard Syoran chuckle, "Spirit loves his beauty sleep."

I cracked one eye open and glared at him. Ray stood over me, a smirk on his face. "Rise and shine, doggie."

"Ray!" My eyes snapped open. That was Fang! "Get over here and help me with this already!"

The raichu rolled his eyes and mock-saluted. "Aye, aye, Captain!" With a leap, he passed out of my vision. I tried to turn my head to see where he went, but I couldn't move it. Some sort of chain wrapped around my head and neck, probably to keep me from swinging my blade.

Syoran sat in the middle of the room, arms and legs tied to a fold-out chair with strips of bed-sheets. Rio was bound hand and foot. Also, they'd gagged him, which I wasn't entirely ungrateful for… In fact, everyone was tied up. Nine was muzzled as well, probably so she couldn't breathe fire everywhere. Psi was still out cold, so no free teleports out of here. I sighed.

"Well," I said, "that went well."

"Could have gone better," Syoran admitted with a shrug. He glanced over at me and made a certain signal with his hands. I frowned and nodded to tell him I understood. He grinned.

"So where are we?" I asked.

"Inside Fang's room." Syoran sighed. "At least we got where we wanted to be."

A door behind me slammed. Fang strode into the room, shirtless and with a bandaged wrapped around his right shoulder. It was slightly red in the middle. I examined it critically. So he was wounded, eh? From the pattern on the outside, I'd say he'd been shot. And, if I had to guess when, I'd wager that one of the police had been a bit too accurate for Fang's liking.

"Well, this is quite the switch from yesterday, isn't it?" Fang said.

"Yeah, you could say that." Syoran smiled sheepishly at him. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"Saved the world from Zygarde last night," Fang growled.

Syoran was surprised. Heck, I was surprised too. "Wait, you have a sense of humor?"

"No. What I have is until evening before I've got to leave. Until then, you and I get to have a little chat." Fang leaned forward and glowered at Syoran. "So tell me, _agent_, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Syoran asked, "You murdered two very famous people. Are you really that surprised that I'd show up?"

"No, no." Fang growled and seized Syoran's shirt. "Why you? Answer me!"

"Calm down! Just…calm down. I was just available, okay?" Syoran said, "it might have been any agent. I was just the one they picked."

Fang snarled and shoved him back in his chair. Ray softly padded into the room and sat down beside me, a bowl of popcorn in his paws. He saw me staring and held out a pawful to me. "Want some? I love a good interrogation."

"No, no I don't," I growled.

He shrugged and tossed it in his mouth instead. "More for me."

Fang pulled up another chair and sat across from Syoran. He fidgeted nervously, lips twitching into a snarl every few seconds. Syoran gave him a puzzled look. "You okay. I can…?"

"Shut up! Shut up and…don't move!" Fang demanded. He put his head in his hands and grabbed fistfuls of his long black hair. With a yell he threw himself back against the chair. Then, all emotion left him and he stared at the ceiling. Now I was more than slightly concerned. Had we fallen into the hands of a madman?

He composed himself and faced Syoran with a distant expression. "I apologize for my behavior. My mind is very scrambled lately. However, we are not here to talk about me. Tell me about yourself, who you are, what you aspire to. Tell me those sorts of things."

"Why would you want to know that?" Syoran asked.

Fang's eyes were icy-cold. "So I can determine whether or not I will have to kill you."

Syoran gulped. "Well, that just might give a person stage-fright…" Fang crossed his arms, wincing as he moved his right one, and tapped his fingers impatiently. "Okay then…my name is Syoran Syke. I'm a recently graduated agent of the International Police and this is my first solo case."

Fang nodded. "Go on."

"Right." Syoran paused. "I used to be a trainer, though I never really made a serious try at any of the league challenges. Well, I did the first time. I'm a native of Kanto, see, and I managed to make it to five badges there. But then, Team Rocket attacked Silph Co. when I was touring it with Nine and Caddie, my only other Pokémon at the time. She was a kadabra and had just given birth to Psi over there. But then, Team Rocket killed her."

"Team Rocket did many terrible things," Fang said, "My condolences."

"Eh, you got lucky," Ray said, "the protocol was to kill all witnesses after the job was done." A roomful of icy glares pierced him from every angle. "What? Was it something I said?"

"Continue," Fang said, gentler this time.

"Well…" Syoran grimaced. "After that, after I dried my tears and finished grieving, I swore to track down Team Rocket and make them pay. So for years, that's what I did. I entered a few other leagues as I searched the world for them, but I only got a few badges from them. My entire life really revolved around finding Team Rocket. So, I only caught Pokémon that I thought would be helpful toward that end.

"First was a zangoose named Z, who is at home right now. They're renowned for their hatred of snakes, and Team Rocket uses a lot of those. Then, I got Rio over there from a Sinnoh breeder travelling in Johto. Steel-types are immune to poison and I knew he'd evolve eventually. Then, right before I actually caught up with Team Rocket, I caught Spirit. I'm happy to report that we shut down their take-over of the Sinnoh Battle Zone with the help of Ethan Gold, the current champion of Johto and Kanto."

Ray's paw paused halfway between his popcorn and his mouth. "Wait, wait, wait! Hold on one second. That was _you_?"

"Yep," Syoran said, "That's how we got the International Police's attention. When I applied to join them, they admitted us into their training program with little hassle. It was tough, but we've faced tougher challenges before and come through alright."

"Such as?" Fang asked.

"Well, does defeating Giratina count?" Syoran asked, "Granted, he'd already fought Mew and Mewtwo and we had a lot of help…"

"Now I know you're lying," Ray said, "I can't beat Giratina and I beat you easily enough."

"Is that what you think?" Syoran raised an eyebrow. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you haven't. I'm an agent of Interpol, did you really think I wouldn't have a plan in case I got captured?" Fang and Ray exchanged glances. "Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you both under arrest."

"Oh don't give me that!" Ray scoffed, "You're tied up."

"I have a psychic Pokémon who excels at cutting things with his mind."

Ray glanced over at Psi. "He's asleep. What now, Mr. Clever?"

"He's also an abra," Syoran replied, "and they spend most of their lives asleep. But it's amazing what they can still manage to do without waking up."

"Then why haven't you escaped yet?" Fang growled.

"Well, I've been planning. Thinking about what I know about you two," Syoran replied cheerfully, "And based on my observations, you two have no hope of winning."

"Riiiiight…" Ray said, but Fang's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I'm glad you asked!" Syoran said, "let's start with you and that wound on your shoulder. That's your sword-arm, isn't it? And now, as I've been watching, you can barely move it without wincing. So I bet you can't swing a sword either."

Fang stiffened. "What about my other arm? Can't I just use that?"

"Yes," Syoran said, "But not nearly as effectively, I'll wager." He turned to Ray. "And as for you, I know just how to defeat you. You have one very exploitable weakness."

"Ha! Fat chance!" the raichu said haughtily, "I'll fry you to a crisp if you so much as try and get close to me."

"See, that's what I'm talking about," Syoran said, "You're very powerful, even more than Pikablu." Ray bristled at that name. "But you both have something in common."

Ray stiffened. "Me and the runt? And what do we have in common, huh?"

"You put everything you've got behind each and every attack," Syoran said, "Well, as they say, use the enemy's strength against him."

Fang and Ray watched Syoran warily. He was still tied down, we all were, but the threat that at any second we would all be free gave them pause. Syoran grinned. "Nine, Confuse Ray."

"Con-?" Ray barely had time to stand before the purple ray struck him directly in the head. He reeled back, clutching his forehead. A flare of psychic energy surrounded me and my chains suddenly fell slack. I tore myself free and leapt onto him, but he rolled backwards. His feet slammed up into my chest. I flew over his head and landed on my nose. It hurt, but I rolled over and leapt back to my feet.

"Giratina take you!" Ray cursed. He charged at full speed, murderous intent on his face. Then, he ran head-first into the wall.

"Oh look, he hurt himself in confusion," I said and pressed my blade against his throat. I growled warningly. "One false move, one _spark_," I threatened, "And you are going to gain a second mouth. Understand me?"

Fang's sword began to form in the hand of his uninjured arm, but Syoran rocketed out his chair and tackled him to the ground. He drove his elbow into Fang's stomach right below the ribs and there was an audible 'whoosh' as the air left his lungs. Fang doubled over and staggered backwards. Syoran brought his knee up. There was a 'crack' and Fang's head snapped backwards. He fell backwards onto the floor.

Nine came over and stood by me. She glowered down at Ray, who was still holding his head. "Don't move," she said, "Or you'll just hurt yourself."

"It's like a brain-freeze that won't go away!" the raichu snapped, "I swear, I'm gonna pound you into the…"

I pressed my blade down on his throat. "You mean, you're going to surrender nicely and come with us to jail, right?"

"Course…that's what I meant…" he choked out, "Having trouble…breathing…"

Syoran and Rio stood over Fang. "You're under arrest," Syoran said, "again."

"Grrrrrr! This human form is so clumsy!" Fang snarled. Without warning, he swung at Syoran. His blade materialized in his hand, but Rio pushed Syoran aside and blocked it with a hastily conjured staff of aura. Both weapons exploded on contact. Rio flew backwards into Syoran, who caught him. They barely managed not to stumble and fall.

"Sorry!" Rio leapt away from Syoran and punched the still-stunned Fang across the jaw. The man growled, grabbed the chair that Syoran had been tied to with his good arm, and brought it down on Rio's head. It broke and a leg of it flew off and shattered the window.

"Good job, you idiot," I said, "Now this place is even more of a dump."

"Shut up, absol," Fang growled.

Something clicked into place right then. He understood Pokémon. I mean, it's not like I didn't notice it before, it's just that I'd gotten used to the idea of humans understanding me after being around Syoran. But before I could ponder it, Ray shifted below me. I fixed him with a glare. "Don't move, mouse."

He grinned. A second later, a heavy blow struck my throat. I choked and fell off him. He would have escaped, but the second he leapt to his feet another purple beam struck him. "Argh!" He clutched at his head with both paws and ground his teeth. "Blast you to Hell, ninetales!" He leapt for her, but she leaned aside and he ran into Fang instead.

"Hi there," Ray said, "Could you make the room stop spinning?"

"I'll make _you _spin!" Fang snapped. He tore Ray off of him and threw him head over tail into the wall. The raichu slumped and didn't get up, but Nine and I took no chances and stood over him in case he was faking.

There was a knock at the door. "What's going on in there?"

"Nothing I can't handle! Go away!" Fang snapped.

"Hey! If you're trashing the place, it comes out of your deposit!"

"SHUT UP, YOU SNIVELING, SLIMY PIECE OF HUMAN TRASH!" A dagger-sized blade appeared in his hand and he flung it at the door. It buried itself halfway into the wood. There was an alarmed squeak from the other side. Fang's face contorted into an expression of pure rage. "I hate you! I hate you all! You!" He pointed at Syoran. "You should be glad I'm not just mowing down your kind left and right! I'm _restraining_ myself to those who deserve it! Deserve it more than any human ever could!" His blade reappeared in his grip. "I didn't want to kill you! I swear I didn't! But you've left me no choice!" He charged, sword held high.

Syoran stepped forward, under his swing. Fang instinctively brought his blade down, but Syoran was too close for an effective strike. Instead, my trainer's fist came up and slammed into Fang's arm right behind the elbow. There was a loud crack, though not the kind of a broken bone. Fang gasped and his arm fell limply to his side, completely nerveless and paralyzed.

"Pressure points," Syoran said, "Gotta love 'em! Now both your arms are useless." He whipped a pair of handcuffs out from his pocket. "Now, I believe this has been said before, but you're under arrest."

Fang glared and glanced toward the window. Rio stepped in front of it and blocked that avenue of escape. "Curse you…" Fang growled, "Fine…I surrender. Take me…take me back to jail."

* * *

><p>An hour later, we were all crowded around a table in a local diner. Psi, for his crucial role in our operation, was treated to a large chocolate shake, which he was thoroughly enjoying. Only an abra could untie ropes while sleeping…<p>

"I like it," he said, "Can I have more?"

"No," Syoran answered, "I think we're already going to have a problem with you being on a sugar high tonight, so more is most definitely _not_ going to happen."

"Besides," Rio said, "That cup is about the size of your torso. I don't think you're going to be able to finish it. And, well, if you don't…I could help!"

"Aaaand that's a no too," Syoran said.

"Aw…" Rio was very disheartened.

"Sorry, but you and sugar is an even worse combination than Spirit and bathtubs."

I shuddered. "I'm still not convinced those weren't invented as torture devices." Everyone chuckled.

"So, what do you all think about Fang and Ray? Any theories on their motives?" Nine asked.

"Fang's scary and Ray's mean," Psi said. Then he took a big long sip of shake.

"Well…" Rio said, "In my, ahem, _professional_ opinion, I'd say there is more to Fang than first meets the eye."

"Well no kidding," I drawled, "He can summon blades of darkness. And he understands Pokémon."

"No, there's more to it than that," Rio said, "His actions seem motivated more by pain than spite or anything like that. Ray, though." He shuddered. "Well… his aura terrifies me."

"Why's that?" Syoran asked.

Rio hesitated. "There's no…sense of order. That probably means he doesn't have any set of morals. So…he could just as easily buy you a meal, murder you, or ignore you. Depending on his fancy."

I took a deep breath. "So he's a complete psychopath."

"Yep."

"Well," I said grimly, "Let's just be glad he's in prison now. That both of them are."

Just then, Syoran's phone rang. He answered it. "Agent Syke of Interpol here. Go ahead." He smiled. "Ah, Detective Langley! How are you this…Again? Oh, but he's on the roof this time? Well, we'll be right over. Hold them there and don't let them escape." He ended the call and turned to us. "The local police sometimes…" he muttered, "Can't do anything."

"What?" Nine asked.

"Fang and Ray escaped. They didn't get out of the building, but they're holed up on the roof," Syoran said. He rose. "Let's go. One last thing to do before we can leave, I guess."

Well, there was nothing for it, so we went. Along the way, though, I made it very clear exactly what I thought of the police. Imagine, letting someone escape not once, but _twice_. Granted, he had extraordinary powers, but still. Come on, people.

When we arrived, Detective Langley was waiting for us in the security station. "What's the situation?" Syoran called.

"He's trapped, but we can't get close to him," Langley replied, "He and the raichu snipe off anyone who so much as pokes their head out the door. Here. I'll show you." She turned on the security camera on the roof. Fang and Ray were hidden behind some vents with perfect vantage points for the only door to the roof.

"So why do you need me?" Syoran asked. She folded her arms. "…you want me to take care of it for you, don't you?"

"Well, it's your mission to capture him, right?" she said smugly.

"I did. Twice." Syoran glared at her. "If he's anyone's mission right now, he's yours. I wasn't in charge of keeping him in jail. And now he's broken out. Again, twice."

"Third time's the charm," Langley said. She brushed past him and gave him a pat on the back. "Be a good rookie and go get him, would you?" Before Syoran could protest, she slipped out the door.

Syoran's expression turned dark. "Come on," he said, "Let's go do the detective's job for her so we can leave here forever."

Our plan was simple. First, Syoran would pick up a pistol. We'd get up to the door, I'd draw their attention, and then Psi would teleport the rest to a covered position on the opposite corner of the roof. From there, we'd move in. Of course, we knew it probably wouldn't be that simple. Some human general had once said 'no plan survives contact with the enemy'. It seemed to me that he was right for the most part.

I stood behind the door, just out of sight. "Hey! Rat-face!" I shouted, "Tell your big, bad wolf-friend to get his butt back in jail!"

"Oi! Absol!" Ray called back, "I'm going to get you for beating me!"

"Idiot! Stay here!" Fang snarled.

"Let go of me! I do what I want!"

"Oh, well, if you want to get captured, then by all means. Go fight the absol."

I heard Ray sigh. "Fine. I'll stay here and wait."

"How long until your friends get here?" Fang growled, "We can't stay here much longer."

"Eh, anytime now."

"Freeze!" Syoran shouted.

"Curse that abra!" Fang snarled, "Anything that teleports needs to be put down!"

"Heh. You know, kids scream really loud when you electrocute them," Ray said. I heard the crackle of electricity. "Just thought I should mention that. Friendly warning and all."

I stepped out from behind the door and into a very strong, hot wind. There was an odd whine in the air that was steadily getting louder. Probably the AC system working overtime. Syoran had his gun trained on them and the others were ready to step in at any time. Fang and Ray stood behind cover, not exposing themselves. "Well this is going well!" Rio said brightly, aura sphere primed.

"Any second now…" Ray muttered. There was a shimmer in the air above our heads. "And here we go!"

I took a step back as a ship suddenly appeared above our heads. It was about the size of a city bus and hovering. It wasn't using a conventional jet hover system, but some sort of odd, glowing engine. Its exhaust was causing the hot wind, but not a whole lot of noise. Men with guns trained them down on us. Several red dots appeared on my chest and I immediately stepped back into cover. Someone dropped a rope ladder to Fang and Ray. "Stand down!" one of the men ordered us via megaphone. Syoran cursed and lowered his gun.

"Stand down," he told us.

Fang and Ray grabbed the ladder and clambered into the transport. "Sorry for being late!" one of the men told Fang, "We planned on picking you up over on the West side of town. It took us a bit to find out where you were and reposition. The boss will want to see you when we land."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Fang said. He turned and called down to us. "Well, it's been fun, Agent Syke, but I'm afraid it's time for me to go now! If you want to find me, here's a hint. Don't."

"I'll make sure you don't kill another person on your list!" Syoran called back, "We'll warn them. They'll receive the best protection. You'll never get close to them!"

Fang glowered. "That remains to be seen." He ducked inside the transport.

Ray grinned and cheerfully made a rude gesture at us. "See ya later, suckers!" The transport shimmered and disappeared.

Syoran sighed and turned away. "Come on, guys," he said, "Let's go." He kicked the brick wall and grunted. "Sorry everyone…"

"Well, on the bright side!" Rio exclaimed, "They didn't shoot us! That's always good."

"Right…" Even I could tell that Syoran was not happy with how things had turned out. Neither did I, really, but due to the fact that absols often end up on the wrong end of hunting rifles, I agreed with Rio. I was really happy that we hadn't been shot.

Detective Langley and the entire police force was waiting for us in the stairwell. "So…" she asked, "Did you get him?"

"No!" Syoran snapped, "A cloaked transport appeared, they pulled _assault rifles_ on us, and then whisked the pair of them away!"

Langley nodded. "Watkins! Get me an APB on a cloaked transport!" She turned to Syoran. "So, I assume you're sticking around?"

"No," Syoran growled. He pushed past her. "You've got this one, Detective. Though since it's cloaked, I highly doubt you'll be able to find it in time. It's probably already gotten away. Besides, if there is some sort of organization with enough resources to acquire a _cloaked_ VTOL transport, my boss will want to hear about it personally."

"Wait! You can't just leave!"

"That's exactly what we're doing." Syoran gave her a mock salute. "Bye. I wish you an…interesting career." He turned to us. "Come on. We're going home."


End file.
